SUNDAY AM, 4TH UPDATE: (Top Ten below) This is another good weekend as domestic box office turns the corner on the holiday grosses – $125M total moviegoing, or +12% more than last year. Paramount‘s R-rated hit Halloween franchise came in an easy #1 through Sunday. Paranormal Activity 4 (3,412 theaters including 286 IMAX locations) scared up around $30M for the weekend, which included a big $15M Friday haul including $4.5M of Thursday night/Friday midnight shows. (*I use an asterisk because Paramount so far has failed to separate the Thursday late shows from the Friday midnights. So PA4 actually dipped below $30M.) But the take was down -38% for Saturday. Overall PA4 grossed far less than Hollywood estimates, disappointing compared to PA2‘s hefty debut of $40.7M and PA3‘s even huger $52.6M. New pic only received a ”C’ CinemaScore which hurt word of mouth. But overseas was a different story: Paranormal Activity 4 opened day and date in 33 markets outside of the U.S. and grabbed $26.5M internationally through Sunday for a $56.5M worldwide cume. In fact, Paramount focused its marketing globall. In the weeks leading up to release, fans from the top 25 winning locations around the world saw the film first at pre-release screenings on October 16th through the “Want It” contest on Facebook. Of course, the U.S. Halloween market overall is more crowded this year than last. Audience makeup was 50%/50% male/female, 60% under age 25/40% age 25 and over.

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, PA4 was again produced by Jason Blum and Oren Peli. “Great results for a franchise that has stayed true to its roots and its microbudgeted approach!,” an exec gushed despite the lower grosses. That’s because what began as a $70,000 sleeper still costs only $5M now and the backend deals haven’t changed, I’m told. Overall, the three Paranormal Activity installments have earned over $576 million worldwide on a combined budget of a little over $8M. Yowza! By the way, this is Paramount’s first fictional live-action nationwide release since The Dictator in May. That’s because the studio pushed off this summer’s scheduled release of G.I. Joe 2 to 2013 in order to revamp the pic.

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The budget for Alex Cross was about 40 million. Add in P&A and it's a lot more....

Meanwhile QED International’s small budget Alex Cross (2,539 theaters) based on best-selling author James Patterson’s crime novel I Alex Cross and starring Tyler Perry also is opening lower than Hollywood estimates. It made $12M for the weekend with Summit Entertainment distributing in the U.S. and Entertainment One in Canada. Everyone was confident enough of a $20M weekend that QED, Patterson, and Perry have a sequel deal already coming together: Patterson’s crime novel Double Cross as a 2nd movie starring Perry as the famous Washington DC crimefighter/psychologist. But the critics have been harsh on helmer Rob Cohen and the film as a whole – only 12% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes (and 0% among top critics). Didn’t matter: audiences gave Alex Cross a ‘A’ CinemaScore which helped word of mouth go up +20% from Friday to Saturday. “The film over performed the national location average in markets that have historically been strong on previous Tyler films,” Summit said. The studio’s marketing campaign targeted both Perry’s and Patterson’s fan bases through a concentrated 3-week media campaign comprised of ads on network and cable television, radio, outdoor in key markets, and online.

Alex Cross is Perry’s first lead role that he didn’t produce or direct or write and his first turn in one of the juiciest roles for a black actor (following Morgan Freeman) – and unexpected for the star of the crossdressing Madea movies. QED International’s Bill Block put together the pic at a cost of only $25M (lowered to $23M with filming tax subsidies). He chased down the book rights from Patterson for under $1 million, then hired Marc Moss and Kerry Williamson to pen the screenplay with Patterson. Then Block and Patterson sought out Tyler’s WME agent Charles King. After meetings in Atlanta, QED signed Perry for $5M upfront. Amazingly, Perry didn’t want to write, direct or produce the movie. He didn’t even want to move the location to his home base in Georgia for all his creature comforts. And he had the leverage, too. Instead Perry wanted QED to run the project so he could focus solely on his acting. (Maybe next time Perry should direct, too.)

Meanwhile, Ben Affleck’s Oscar-buzzed Argohad a spectacular hold from its opening a week ago. “Friday night’s -14% hold is the best for a wide release R-rated film that I can recall,” a Warner Bros exec crowed. “Word of mouth has taken over the campaign. All good news as the awards season approaches.”

90 Comments

David • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

With that kind of budget and the amount of profit they make, there is no way this franchise is anywhere near to be finished.

Tony • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Agreed. The first one cost only $15,000 and grossed almost $200 million. The second and third one cost $3M and $5M respectively and they both grossed hundreds of millions. PA4’s budget was $6 million and again, it’s going to make 20-30 times more money.

Esquire • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

This is Paramount’s covert cash cow………it has a few installments left before they look for something else.

Dave • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

It took Paramount 24 years to find there new cash cow after the Friday the 13th series ended for them in 1988. Paramount will go 15 or 20 straight years with this series if they feel it can still make 6 or 7 times its budget.

Mohammed • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

What a shame. First Taken 2, now PA4. The people, it seems , have spoken. We should now apologize to M. Bay. The man knows there are fools abound who are willing to pay for anything. I’m expecting big numbers for Alex Cross too. I blame the parents.

marklondon • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Don’t worry. Cross is a dud. Its not a question of IF its a bomb, but how big of one.

Mike • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

making 15million the first weekend on a 23 million budget isnt a bomb…

Nowhere Man • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

The Alex Cross budget is $35 million according to Box Office MoJo. With the ads it’s probably $45-50 million. That my friend, is a bomb.

It is over for this cross-dressing clown and his people know it. His this attempt to leap into a career that other actors have taken years to build shows the arrogance and lack of talent of this overrated hack. This is a fitting end to his misbegotten career.

Puim • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

People will never get Tyler Perry, will they? His movies are made cheap and they always make money. Opening weekends and traditional spin don’t matter. That’s why he keeps making them. So far he has a perfect record.

Irishgirl • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

His record maybe be good….not perfect….for movies that he wrote, produced, and directed, but not for ones where he solely acts. Alex Cross is an awful film. I thought at least the script would be good since Patterson worked on it, but the dialogue is laughable. The direction, cinematography, some of the acting….ugh..it’s terrible.

JaySmack • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

“making 15million the first weekend on a 23 million budget isnt a bomb…”

Uhm, 12 million. And yes, that is a dud.

Michele • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Mohammed, I’m in complete agreement. Anyone who saw Taken 2 & PA4 is not allowed to complain about a lack of innovation in film. Shame on you people! Go watch Two & 1/2 Men, now, or a procedural on CBS.

No • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

@Dave

You must have missed the SAW franchise after the 2nd one (some would say all of it).

And I severely doubt Paramount will stop making them. As the article says, 8 million budget for 576 million global cume for the series – I don’t think they’re going to just kill their cash cow.

Dave • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

The Saw series was at least good for the first three movies. Then after that it went off a cliff. Paranormal Activity has sucked from the start.

But I do agree this is a cash cow for Paramount and they do know how to milk a cow(example being the Friday the 13th franchise). Give the PA franchise another two or three movies and it will die down like Saw did. They may even go the 3D route like Saw did.

These first two commenters are plants • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I don’t know what these first two people are about. I don’t necessarily love PA but worst ever? Come on!

Dave • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Worst horror franchise ever. Hell even the Child’s Play movies look like Oscar worthy movies compared to these awful films.

Film Lover • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

very envious of their desire and ability in keeping the budget down. i can’t think of any other studio who would be able to do that. very impressive.

College Student • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Lionsgate did it for the ‘Saw’ series

robert • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Nice to see grosses are down from the previous entries. Part 2 made $6.3M in its midnight showings. The third one did $8M. Hopefully, this is indicative of this dreadful series FINALLY losing some interest.

College Student • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I think having 4 installments in 4 years has saturated the market. They should have spaced 3 and 4 out a bit to build up excitement…

College Student • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

audience fatigue is probably a more accurate term

ummm • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

“earned over $576 million worldwide on a combined budget of a little over $8M. Yowza!” Not that I’ve seen a single one of these films but I certainly see why we should expect to see a ton more

malibu • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I must agree that this series must end. Not from a financial standpoint obviously it is very cost effective for Paramount to keep making these movies, but for me it is not scary and a complete one note of a film.

Is the execution solid sure, but not creative whatsoever. Are the stories interesting not whatsoever. This type of film is a sad commentary on the film industry. Ther must be better horror films that that have franchise potential that will scare you and have a better concept than this rubbish. To me this franchise is painful to watch and most of all boring.

Feeball • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

There will be no commentary on the film industry if studios stop making profitable films because some people don’t enjoy them. Profitable franchises don’t just end, this is not a recent trend or some fad, it’s the way things have been for forever.

If you don’t like it anymore, just don’t watch it. Let them makem ore sequels for those who still enjoy the franchise.

Burton Crane • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Tyler Perry’s films vs Paranormal Activity films…seems like Hollywood is being taught a lesson. You can make cheap, bad films and see a great profit off of them if you target your audience correctly. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Mitch • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

You people are ridiculous. Paranormal Activity raised the bar for horror movies, in terms of quality and scares. Yes, the sequels have been obviously lacking, but are still better than two -thirds of the current horror movie scene.

Hoops • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

You clearly know nothing of the current horror scene then.

Burton Crane • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

One thing that has not changed in all these years is that audiences love to get scared. That’s why films such as The House at the End of the Street, The Possession, Sinister, Paranormal Acitivity etc…all do well. It’s fun to watch a scary film with a bunch of strangers. Hard to do that on your ipad or laptop. As long as you run through the cliche of scary musiccoupled with audience jolts every 2 minutes, the films will do well.

I take one slight objection with your post: Sinister would be just as enjoyable at home as in the movie theater, whereas PA is a purely cinematic experience. Since 2009, I’ve loved gathering in the theater each year to sit amidst so many other people jumping and screaming at the onscreen imagery. I won’t argue the PA series is an intellectual exercise, but it reminds me of what made films so enjoyable in the first place.

People hating on the PA series should actually give it a go in the cinema and partake in the fun. We don’t have too many films that depend on audience participation, but those few are to be enjoyed, especially when the business is at an uncertain point.

Anonymous • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

“People hating on the PA series should actually give it a go in the cinema and partake in the fun.”

What part of if it walks talks and looks like shit do you not understand? Not all of us want to fork over $5 for a matinee when we could rent it for a buck later at Redbox. Even good cheap thrills aren’t worth it these days.

Randall • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I won’t be seeing this PA4 as I just don’t think these movies are any good. They just arn’t scary….after watching part 3 I walked out feeling robbed. What?-80 minutes of cheap filmmaking and a sheet falling down?….BUT!!!!!! I could see paramount continue to make these movies until part 10….I mean as long as the budgets stay below 10 million I would keep putting out a new installment until one of them bottomed out at 20 million-and I don’t see that happening for at least 3 or 4 more of these. When you can recoup half your budget at the midnight shows the night before you open you don’t quit them.

Robert • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Considering the size of marketing budgets nowadays I would think all things considered once they drop below 60-80 mil gross world wide Paramount will start considering ending the series. Or at least changing them to a format with less overhead, like straight to dvd titles, etc..

anon • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I totally agree. PA3 was the only movie I have ever seen in a theater that made me think that I wanted my money back afterwards, and I have see a lot of bad movies.

Meloroll1962 • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

The Paranormal movies are different than any other movies that came before. They are like a hybrid of movies and games. You watch a fuzzy stationary image and try to be the first to detect when something starts to go awry. You also try to guess what comes next. People on this board are complaining that the Paranormal movies don’t have good stories. But neither do games. Games have themes. You must watch the Paranormal movies very carefully or you will lose the game. Something will come on to the screen that you do not notice and you are at a disadvantage vis a vis eveyone else watching/playing. Because you must watch so carefully very little that in the movie is wasted.

visotoo • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

You have to wonder what an “Alex Cross” starring Idris Elba would have looked like…

The Whiz • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Yup. He was made for the role. Then again, the script probably sucked.

EK • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

LUTHER rules! He’ll probably be careful about what he does in movies. Don’t want him to be another David Caruso.

LTavares2012 • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Idris Elba would be perfect as Alex Cross.

TM • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

The cost on all 4 combined is closer to 18m – not that it really matters.It’s still a cash cow.

RLS • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I love scary movies, but enough is enough with PA. They are exactly the same movie over and over and over and over again. Same thing happened with the Saw series. But I guess I can’t complain too much. When studios see audiences have an appetite for horror they invest in it and we get actual good ones that slip through the cracks

Jon • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Good…it didnt break records. Maybe Silent Hill might have a fighting chance for #2 next week ( no way would it be #1 with Could Altas coming out the same day).

For the people who expected Alex Cross to do more, really???? Cuz it’s Tyler Perry… or cuz it’s Alex Cross? Cuz Tyler Perry movie outside the Madea franchise make about this much and the last two Alex Cross films opened at these numbers…. though I doubt this will have the legs those two films had.

George • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

How on Earth will Cloud Atlas be #1? It’s only opening in 1,950 theaters. It’ll be lucky to break $8M on opening weekend. The reaction is too mixed for it to be too mainstream.

jdls65 • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

“Cloud Atlas” as of today is projected by box office trackers to be in the 14-16m range for opening weekend.

George • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I highly doubt on the last weekend of October that it gets to that kind of level. It will be lucky to break $10M. I still hold that it will open with $8M.

Dave • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

If that 35 million dollar figure holds up it seems like the fire for Paranormal Activity may be fading away. And that 35 million dollars is with the extra money coming from its IMAX showings. Should be able to make one or two more movies but that should be it. Thank God!

Mohammed • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

OMG LOOK AR-GO! If these numbers hold up it may be a shining light in an otherwise dark weekend. It’s making almost as much as it did the first weekend. It has been the Nr 1 movie since Monday too. Congrats to Ben and Co! We all need to support GOOD filmmaking and filmmakers if we want change to happen.

ALex • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Agreed! It’s nice to see quality filmmaking being rewarded with box office success. Proof that a movie doesn’t have to choose between being good or popular.

bruckey • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

PA is never going to stop, it may be go to vod first but with a brand name and a very low budget why would any studio stop ?

Mormon Bob • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

As a horror film, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY is horrible. It’s not even scary. The reason it’s done well is b/c of all those kids who grew up in the 90’s who weren’t allowed to watch horror films by their overprotective parents. They don’t know what a real horror film is. So for all these kids in their early 20s, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY is their first exposure to the horror genre and think it’s just the greatest thing ever; like a Mormon trying soda for the first time. They just don’t know any better.

michael • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

This is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read. With cable, VHS and the advent of DVDs and the Internet, kids growing up in the ’90s had more avenues to see horror films than any generation before them; “overprotective parents” could keep kids out of theaters but couldn’t stop them from watching horror videos after school, late at night or at friends’ houses. And “all these kids in their early 20s” had plenty of other horror films to sample at the same time as PARANORMAL; that just happened to be one that resonated (and, it must be said, was very smartly marketed). What a ridiculous explanation to justify your hate on a successful series of movies.

Kiss0fdeath • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

13M for Alex Cross. This is what the studios get for being ignorant about the Black community. They replaced Idris Elba with Tyler Perry thinking they could get his Madea audience into the theatre. They don’t understand that it is a very specific segment of the Black community (Primarily Faith Based) that supports his films while others find his work to be patronizing and offensive and no one disputes the fact the man cannot act. Let’s see how that sequel deal pans out now.

Columbo • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Alex Cross with Idris Elba would’ve made about $5 million opening weekend.

Sherlock • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Not true, Columbo. You are just like the stupid white men who don’t know what a big star Idris is in the black and young white community from his work on The Wire and in the bigger films. Idris was primes and didn’t want to waste his first shot on a bad script and a scatter-brained director.

Tyler Perry is a big man/woman and even his loyal audience knows that. He’s fat, and delusional and this is the end. Back to the dress!!

Anonymous • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I think this is unfair to Tyler P – I guess I’m one black woman who is not such an Indris fan.

I feel like Tyler can’t win – he puts on a dress and some people hate on him, he takes it off and people hate on him. He’s trying to move out of that box, and I support him. Who cares about Indris Alba? What has he done that’s so wonderful? He was a drug dealer on the wire, ok he did a good job with that, so what?

Meanwhile Tyler has worked hard and built an empire, despite the naysayers. He is one of the few directors who consistently hires PRETTY young black actresses and put them in decent roles – as intelligent, hardworking proud Christian women, not fat ugly sloppy ignorant loud mouths playing Precious or The Help.

Tyler stands up for young black women and that’s why I will always stand up for him. Just my 2 cents.

Anonymous • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I meant to add to the comment above – I like Tyler but that this doesn’t mean I thought the Alex Cross movie was perfect. It was much too violent for PG-13, they should have taken some of the violence and gruesome scenes out, and I would have liked to see more black women with a bigger role in it, with something more to do – maybe Gabrielle Union or Joy Bryant should have played the female police officer. But take out all the violence towards women, it was too much.

Also Matthew Fox was good (very scary) but I never understood why he was so bad – why was he doing all these terrible things? WHY? What happened in the past to make him act this way? The truth is we are all children of God and there was no attempt to help or redeem him or sit him down and talk to him – just kill, kill, kill.

There was instant judgement, and no attempt to try to understand him or his motivations.

JaySmack • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

Anonymous,
Look at what you just wrote. TP “stands up for young black women.” and exactly WHAT percentage of movie-goers is that?
About 12 million.
And considering what it is he’s “standing up” for how can anyone be proud of having his type of “support?”

Jonathan • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

That is a fantastic number for Argo.

Quality actually gets rewarded, makes me happy.

Here Comes The Boom is holding up well too.

Guess those Cinemascores meant something this time.

jdls65 • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

I liked “ARGO” . I think it is a well crafted thriller but all the fawning over it by bloggers like Finke is amusing. Spectacular hold. Common on. It was projected to do 13.5m and it looks like it will do 16m by Monday hardly the 19M she originally projected for the film on Friday. Seems to me that was more a disappointment or a solid hold not some spectacular hold.

Tony • on Oct 21, 2012 6:44 am

WOW. Argo could make more money in its second weekend. That would be pretty amazing.